Remote data entry into server computer systems has been greatly expanded through use of networking techniques. In particular, use of the World Wide Web and its associated protocols has made it possible for almost anyone in the world with a client computer running browser software and an internet connection to enter data into a server computer system, provided the server allows such entry.
In one way of entering data, a server computer presents a web page to a client computer. On the web page are input fields where a user located at a display attached to the client computer may enter data. For example, in one type of input field the user may enter data using a keyboard to type in text. In another type of input field the user may select an item by first activating a pull-down list and then selecting a desired item on the list using a well known positioning device such as a mouse, trackball, or the like. Other input fields may operate by allowing the user to select a checkbox, radio button or other input field selection options.
In some applications, certain input fields may be optional and others required. Normally text or other indications in the web page would inform the user as to which are so required. Some applications may also perform an immediate check on the data entered in a field, and inform the user if an error is detected, so it may be immediately corrected.
For example, the browser displaying the page may send the data entered in a field to the server which performs the check. If an error is detected, the server sends a new page with the error indicated. The new page is essentially identical to the original page except the data already successfully entered in certain input fields is shown in those fields and a message describes the error detected in the current input field. The user corrects the error. The corrected entry is sent to the server, checked, and the user may proceed to enter data in other input fields or perform other tasks.
In another example, Boris Feldman describes in “Give Your Users Form-Field Feedback” published by Inquiry.com, 2000 an immediate method of giving the user feedback when filling in HTML forms. A sample script of utility functions is provided. The web page developer adds indicator image placeholders onto a web page for each required field. Each image placeholder is associated with a field on the form. Then ONBLUR handlers are added to the HTML form elements to make sure that the indicators are updated when field values are changed. The general use of an ONBLUR statement is described in Internet and World Wide Web-How to Program by Deitel et al., Prentice Hall, N. J., 2000 pages 549–551. Finally a showWarn ( ) function is modified to do field validation appropriate to the field, such as code to make sure that a numeric field is truly numeric etc. Upon use, the user would see a corresponding warning indicator after entering incorrect data in any field for which a showWarn ( ) function was appropriately modified by the web page developer.
Gardner in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,694 describes a method and apparatus for using a status field to indicate whether a more reliable source is available for an information field. For example, a computer network may include a plurality of servers and a plurality of clients. Information entered at a client has an associated level of certainty regarding its accuracy. When a user browses a site on the network having an information field with data contained therein, the method or apparatus determines from the associated status field whether a more reliable source exists. If so, then the information corresponding to the information field is retrieved from the more reliable source and the information currently contained in the information field is replaced with the retrieved information.
Based on the foregoing it is evident that new methods of assisting a user in the entry of data into input fields of web pages are highly desirable.